147th Kentucky Derby Betting
Normalcy is back in the sports world, and this year’s Kentucky Derby is slated to take place as scheduled. Organizers had to move the 2020 Kentucky Derby back to September due to COVID, but this year’s Run for the Roses will be in May. The 2021 Kentucky Derby is scheduled for Saturday, May 1. As is the case every year, the action at Churchill Downs can be seen live on NBC.
2021 Kentucky Derby At a Glance
Date: Saturday, May 1, 2021, 7 p.m. ET
Location: Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY
Length: 1 1/4 miles ( 10 furlongs ), dirt track
Purse: Approximately $3 million
Kentucky Derby TV Coverage: NBC
Kentucky Derby Format
Typically, we see 20 horses qualify for the Derby with up to four standbys in case something happens. The qualification process is extensive with horses accumulating points over the course of their two- and three-year-old seasons. The horses with the most points earn a spot in the Kentucky Derby field as long as their connections choose to race them.
A maximum of 20 horses run in the Kentucky Derby each year, and for the most part, the slots are always filled. The horses that end up as the favorites to win the Kentucky Derby are the ones which win major Grade 1 races held in March and April. The only exception is the UAE Derby winner who almost always ends up being one of the longer shots on the board. To this day, no horse which won the UAE Derby has come anywhere near winning the Kentucky Derby.
| 2021 KENTUCKY DERBY ODDS TO WIN |
| Caddo River +2250 |
Dream Shake +5250 |
Essential Quality +325 |
| Highly Motivated +825 |
Hot Rod Charlie +1015 |
Mandaloun +2250 |
| Medina Spirit +1625 |
Midnight Bourbon +2850 |
Helium +4050 |
| Known Agenda +625 |
Super Stock +3250 |
Rock Your World +525 |
| Dynamic One +4050 |
Soup And Sandwich +2250 |
Sainthood +6050 |
Kentucky Derby Winners (2000)
| YEAR |
WINNER |
ODDS |
JOCKEY |
TRAINER |
TIME |
| 2020 |
Authentic |
8.40 |
John Velazquez |
Bob Baffert |
2:00.61 |
| 2019 |
Country House |
30.00 |
Flavien Prat |
Bill Mott |
2:03.93 |
| 2018 |
Justify |
2.90 |
Mike Smith |
Bob Baffert |
2:04.20 |
| 2017 |
Always Dreaming |
4.70 |
John Velazquez |
Todd Pletcher |
2:03.59 |
| 2016 |
Nyquist |
2.00 |
Mario Gutierrez |
Doug O'Neill |
2:01.31 |
| 2015 |
American Pharoah |
2.50 |
Victor Espinoza |
Bob Baffert |
2:03.02 |
| 2014 |
California Chrome |
2.50 |
Victor Espinoza |
Art Sherman |
2:03.66 |
| 2013 |
Orb |
5.00 |
Joel Rosario |
Shug McGaughey |
2:02.89 |
| 2012 |
I'll Have Another |
15.00 |
Mario Gutierrez |
Doug O'Neill |
2:01.83 |
| 2011 |
Animal Kingdom |
20.00 |
John Velazquez |
Graham Motion |
2:02.04 |
| 2010 |
Super Saver |
50.00 |
Calvin Borel |
Todd Pletcher |
2:04.45 |
| 2009 |
Mine That Bird |
8.00 |
Calvin Borel |
Bennie Woolley Jr. |
2:02.66 |
| 2008 |
Big Brown |
3.50 |
Kent Desormeaux |
Richard Dutrow |
2:01.82 |
| 2007 |
Street Sense |
4.50 |
Calvin Borel |
Carl Nafzger |
2:02.17 |
| 2006 |
Barbaro |
6.00 |
Edgar Prado |
Michael Matz |
2:01.36 |
| 2005 |
Giacomo |
50.30 |
Mike Smith |
John Shirreffs |
2:02.75 |
| 2004 |
Smarty Jones |
4.10 |
Stewart Elliott |
John Servis |
2:04.06 |
| 2003 |
Funny Cide |
12.80 |
Jose Santos |
Barclay Tagg |
2:01.19 |
| 2002 |
War Emblem |
20.50 |
Victor Espinoza |
Bob Baffert |
2:01.13 |
| 2001 |
Monarchos |
10.50 |
Jorge Chavez |
John Ward Jr. |
1:59.97 |
| 2000 |
Fusaichi Pegasus |
2.30 |
Kent Desormeaux |
Neil Drysdale |
2:01.00 |
Authentic upset Tiz the Law to win the 2020 Kentucky Derby with the fastest time in almost two decades. Monarchos finished the 2001 Kentucky Derby in 1:59.97, but no horse had finished the race with a time under 2:01 since that point.
Fastest Times in Kentucky Derby History
| YEAR |
HORSE |
TIME |
| 1973 |
Secretariat |
1:59.40 |
| 2001 |
Monarchos |
1:59.97 |
| 1964 |
Northern Dancer |
2:00.00 |
| 1985 |
Spend A Buck |
2:00.20 |
| 1962 |
Decidedly |
2:00.40 |
Running the Kentucky Derby in anything less than 2:01 is considered blazing fast. Secretariat has held the track record for nearly 50 years, running the 1973 Kentucky Debry in 1:59.40, and he is one of two horses to finish the race in under two minutes.
Longest Odds To Win the Kentucky Derby
| YEAR |
HORSE |
TIME |
| 1913 |
Donerail |
91.45 |
| 2005 |
Giacomo |
50.30 |
| 2010 |
Super Saver |
50 |
| 1940 |
Gallahadion |
35.20 |
| 1999 |
Charismatic |
31.30 |
The odds of a horse like Donerail winning the Kentucky Derby again are slim and none, but with the way these prices play themselves out, you never know. No one gave Country House much of a chance after favorites dominated the Kentucky Derby for the last five years, but he pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the event’s history in 2019. Granted, he was helped by Maximum Security’s disqualification 22 minutes after he seemingly won the 2019 Kentucky Derby.
Most Jockey Wins
| JOCKEY |
WINS |
YEARS WON |
| Eddie Arcaro |
5 |
1938, 1941, 1945, 1948, 1952 |
| Bill Hartack |
5 |
1957, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1969 |
| Bill Shoemaker |
4 |
1955, 1959, 1965, 1986 |
| Angel Cordero Jr. |
3 |
1974, 1976, 1985 |
| Calvin Borel |
3 |
2007, 2009, 2010 |
| Earl Sande |
3 |
1923, 1925, 1930 |
| Gary Stevens |
3 |
1988, 1995, 1997 |
| Isaac Murphy |
3 |
1894, 1890, 1891 |
| Kent Desormeaux |
3 |
1998, 2000, 2008 |
| Victor Espinoza |
3 |
2002, 2014, 2015 |
| John Velazquez |
3 |
2011, 2017, 2020 |
It's becoming tougher and tougher for modern jockeys to have success in a race like this one, but there are a few who really stand out. Calvin Borel has made a living out of winning the Kentucky Derby with late-charging horses who love running on the rail. Victor Espinoza won consecutive Derbies in 2014 and 2015 with California Chrome and American Pharoah. John Velazquez won three Kentucky Derby titles from 2011 to 2020.
Most Trainer Wins
| TRAINER |
WINS |
YEARS WON |
| Ben Jones |
6 |
1938, 1941, 1944, 1948, 1949, 1952 |
| Bob Baffert |
6 |
1997, 1998, 2002, 2015, 2018, 2020 |
| D. Wayne Lukas |
4 |
1988, 1995, 1996, 1999 |
| Herbert Thompson |
4 |
1921, 1926, 1932, 1933 |
If you thought it was tough to try to figure out which jockey was going to win the Kentucky Derby year in and year out, trying to pick the trainer is even harder. Of this list of four men who have won the Run for the Roses at least four times, only one is relatively modern in Bob Baffert. He has trained three recent winners with American Pharoah in 2015, Justify in 2018, and Authentic in 2020.
When Doug O'Neill won the race with Nyquist in 2016 that ended a stretch of 13 consecutive years in which a different trainer won the Kentucky Derby. O'Neill also trained I'll Have Another in 2012.
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